The Unprepossessing Mr. Ryan Understanding Exemplary Legislative Leadership

by Adams, Barbara A.K.

• ISBN13: 9780761812456
• ISBN10: 0761812458
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-01-14
• Publisher: UPA

Summary

The Unprepossessing Mr. Ryan focuses on the character attributes, philosophy, political skills, and administrative activities of William A. Ryan, Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1969 through 1974 and a House Member from 1958 through 1982. The author attempts to show that administrative virtue in legislative leadership is best described in terms of utilitarian ethics, the ability to control and manage factionalism in the interest of incremental change, rather than following the idea that an adequate understanding of exemplary legislative leadership must account for the significance of character ethics, attributes that form an essential part of the leader's moral authority. Through this study of Mr. Ryan and three other House Speakers, the author discovered that exemplary legislative leadership may best be understood in terms of the leader's ability to facilitate sustained democratic discourse characterized by a meaningful representation of and input from all affected stakeholders; civility and compromise among political leaders who may strongly disagree with one another; and policy resolutions that, though imperfect, reflect lines of convergence on what public values are and ought to be.

Table of Contents

PREFACE	ix	(6)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS	xv
CHAPTER 1: AN INQUIRY INTO ADMINISTRATIVE VIRTUE IN THE AMERICAN STATES	1	(10)
Life History, Political Culture, and Identity Formation	1	(2)
The Moral Exemplar in a Political Community	3	(6)
Endnotes	9	(2)
CHAPTER 2: THE CONFIDENCE CRISIS, THE MADISONIAN DILEMMA, AND THE PROBLEM OF REPRESENTATION	11	(22)
Introduction	11	(1)
The Confidence Crisis	12	(5)
Political Theater in the 1990s	12	(3)
The Confidence Crisis	15	(2)
The Madisonian Dilemma and the Utility of the Virtues	17	(8)
The Madisonian Dilemma	17	(2)
The Utility of the Virtues	19	(2)
An Ethics Framework	21	(1)
Moral Minimalism and Moral Zealousness	22	(3)
The Problem of Representation	25	(6)
The Mythic Reality--Is It Really Real?	25	(3)
The Problem of Representation	28	(2)
The Legislative Institution	30	(1)
Conclusion	31	(1)
Endnotes	32	(1)
CHAPTER 3: THE MICHIGAN HISTORICAL CONTEXT (1805-1849)	33	(16)
Introduction	33	(1)
The Michigan Cultural Matrix	34	(4)
A Framework for Analyzing Political Cultures	34	(1)
Michigan's Political Culture	35	(2)
Developmental Periods Defined	37	(1)
The Foundation Period in Michigan History	38	(9)
The Territorial Period	38	(3)
Statehood	41	(3)
Location of the State Capital	44	(1)
Economic Activity During the Foundation Period	44	(2)
Political Party Alignment During the Foundation Period	46	(1)
Conclusion	47	(2)
CHAPTER 4: THE MICHIGAN HISTORICAL CONTEXT (1850-1947)	49	(14)
Introduction	49	(1)
The Middle Years: Economic Development and Social Reform	49	(6)
The Constitution of 1850	50	(2)
Economic Development	52	(1)
Social Reform	53	(2)
Mature Michigan--The Growth of an Industrial Giant	55	(7)
The Constitution of 1908	55	(1)
Economic Development	56	(1)
The Great Depression	57	(4)
World War II	61	(1)
Conclusion	62	(1)
CHAPTER 5: THE GREENING OF STATE GOVERNMENT (1948-1963)	63	(16)
Introduction	63	(1)
The Rise of the New Michigan Democratic Party	64	(5)
The Williams Years	69	(3)
The Battle Over Representation	70	(2)
Call for a New Constitution	72	(4)
Conclusion	76	(1)
Endnotes	77	(2)
CHAPTER 6: THE MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE COMES OF AGE (1963-1966)	79	(16)
Introduction	79	(1)
Forces of Change	80	(3)
Reapportionment--The Final Chapter	81	(1)
Civil Rights Activism	81	(1)
National Policies	82	(1)
The Change Process	83	(5)
The Kowalski Speakership (1965-66)	84	(3)
Indicators of Change	87	(1)
The Results of Change and Ryan's Policy Roles	88	(5)
Social Welfare Legislation	89	(3)
Michigan Consumers Council	92	(1)
Conclusion	93	(1)
Endnotes	94	(1)
CHAPTER 7: AN EMBATTLED GOVERNMENT (1967)	95	(22)
Introduction	95	(1)
The Battle for Control	96	(7)
The Stakes	96	(2)
Dynamics of Legislative Leadership Politics	98	(2)
The Candidates	100	(1)
Dynamics of the 1967 Election	101	(2)
The Waldron Speakership	103	(3)
Committee Assignments and Committee Structure	104	(1)
Legislative Scheduling	105	(1)
Ryan Becomes Minority Leader	106	(2)
Hammering Home Fiscal Reform	108	(3)
Conclusion	111	(2)
Endnotes	113	(4)
CHAPTER 8: THE UNPREPOSSESSING MR. RYAN (1968-1974)	117	(42)
Introduction	117	(1)
The Battle for Control (1968)	118	(3)
The Candidates	118	(1)
Dynamics of the 1968 Election	119	(2)
A New Governor	121	(1)
The Michigan Political Climate (1969)	122	(5)
The Slapping Incident	123	(1)
Government Facilities as an Expression of Political Climate	124	(3)
The Full-Time Legislature	127	(1)
Committee Structure and Committee Assignments	128	(3)
Committee Structure	128	(1)
Committee Assignments	129	(2)
Slipping on the Velvet Glove	131	(1)
Legislative Staffing and Information and Management Systems	131	(12)
Critique of Staff Increases	132	(2)
Types of Staff Increases	134	(1)
Information and Management Systems	135	(5)
Ryan Speaks	140	(3)
Forwarding the Policy Agenda	143	(7)
Making a Difference in Public Policy	143	(2)
Personal Advocacy in Welfare Policies	145	(1)
Pathfinding and Consensus-Building in Education Reform	145	(5)
Other Election Returns, 1970	150	(1)
Summing Up the Ryan Speakership	151	(3)
New Policy Initiatives	151	(1)
Ryan's Key Contributions: Culture and Purpose	152	(2)
Conclusion	154	(1)
Endnotes	155	(4)
CHAPTER 9: SPEAKER EMERITUS--THE RYAN LEGACY	159	(28)
Introduction	159	(1)
Speaker Emeritus	160	(11)
Ryan and Crim	160	(2)
Passing the Torch on Welfare Advocacy	162	(4)
The Eternal Teacher	166	(1)
Path-Finding and Consensus-Building as a Senior Statesman	167	(1)
Ryan and Crim--Another Perspective	168	(1)
The Conscience of the House	169	(2)
A Learning Institution	171	(5)
The Crim Speakership	171	(1)
Ryanesque Legislative Processing	171	(4)
Attending to Individual Human Needs	175	(1)
The Ryan Legacy	176	(8)
A Living Legend	177	(1)
A Genuine Humanitarian	178	(1)
The Man Behind the Myth	179	(2)
The Making of a Legend	181	(3)
Conclusion	184	(1)
Endnotes	184	(3)
CHAPTER 10: INTERNAL GOODS, REWARD SYSTEMS, AND THE ROLE OF ADMINISTRATIVE VIRTUE	187	(18)
Introduction	187	(1)
The Matrix of Administrative Virtue in the Role of Legislative Leader	188	(4)
Skills	189	(1)
Primacy of Policy Goals	189	(1)
Identification With Institution	190	(1)
Morally Compelling Leadership	191	(1)
The Moral Exemplar in the Legislative Organization	192	(4)
Morality Versus Moralizing	193	(1)
The Goals of Legislators and Legislative Staffing	194	(1)
Fostering the Legislative Culture	195	(1)
The Expressive Obligation as an Aspect of Representation	196	(6)
Focus on the Individual Human Being	197	(1)
Furtherance of Liberal Democratic Dialogue	198	(2)
The Expressive Obligation and Symbolic Creation	200	(2)
Limitations of the Study and Recommendations for Future Research	202	(2)
Endnotes	204	(1)
BIBLIOGRAPHY	205	(10)
INDEX	215